Responsibilities:

• Provide pastoral care and discipleship for existing groups in Tokyo and Nagoya
• Visit areas populated with Vietnamese and plant new churches in those areas
• Train and raise up leaders who will continue to lead the churches that are planted
• Work with Japanese churches in reaching out to the Vietnamese

Required Qualifications:

• A recognized bachelor’s degree
• Completion of at least 30 hours of Bible/theology/ministry and 15 hours of intercultural studies
• Spouse must hold a recognized bachelor’s degree and have completed at least 18 hours of Bible/theology, 12 hours of missions/ministry studies (with a minimum of 6 hours in cross-cultural or missions studies)
• Completion of Alliance Polity course
• Completion of Alliance ordination/consecration
• Minimum of two years successful Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience
• A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preaching and teaching experience within a Vietnamese cultural context
• Fluency in the Vietnamese language
• Leadership and coaching/mentoring skills
• Church planting experience
• Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changes

Biblical Characteristics Desired:

• Kingdom-minded
• Biblically grounded
• Spirit-dependent 
• Competently skilled
• Self-aware
• Self-disciplined

Timeline for Deployment:

Summer/fall of 2024. Following appointment, and once fundraising goals and other qualifications are met, the appointee is required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and pre-field orientation prior to deploying.

General Information:

As the third largest economic country in the world, Japan attracts many Asians who come for work and study. Vietnam has the second largest population of foreign residents in Japan (450,000), of which 300,000 are workers and 65,000 are students. This influx of young Vietnamese—including about 4,500 Vietnamese Christians—to Japan creates a huge need and opportunities for gospel impact in Japan through establishing Vietnamese churches across the country. Along with Vietnamese Christians coming to Japan, many Vietnamese become Christian in Japan and need a place to worship and grow in their faith. The new worker will live in or near Tokyo. 

World Factbook—Japan

Joshua Project—Japan

Language Expectations:

Language is an essential part of ministry. Those who do not know the language will attend a language study program. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others.

Vietnamese will be the primary language of ministry, but a good working knowledge of Japanese will be helpful.

Health Considerations:

Japan has good health care facilities and well-trained doctors, and most medications are readily available.

Expectations for Spouse:

Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives depending on the nature of family roles, children, etc.

The spouse is expected to engage in fulfilling ministry objectives based on his/her gifts, training, and his/her family’s needs.

Children’s Educational Plan and Options:

The Christian Academy in Japan is where most international workers’ children attend school in the Tokyo area. Local Japanese schools are also an option.